Archive for May 2012

With salary-capped sports leagues, there is always pressure to loosen the purse strings a little, especially in minority sports. Raising the cap is the most common way or alternatively allowing cap exemptions for certain players but it’s a balancing act between those teams that want to spend more and those who can’t. In MLS, the solution was to allow teams to spend what they want in a controlled manner. The Designated Player Rule – championed by Anschutz Entertainment Group so their franchise, the LA Galaxy, could sign commercial juggernaut David Beckham – was introduced in 2007 and has been changed and tweaked ever since. However, with the Galaxy the only team to ever win the MLS Cup with designated players and both conferences currently led by teams without them, the question has to be asked; are designated players a waste of time? Read the rest of this entry »